The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-21

approached the mountain. We fol-
lowed the dry bed of stream which
at some forgotten period had worn a
causeway through the granite. It
was broken by assures of evident re-
cent origin, from north 10 south, and
IN some cases four or five feet broad
and Of unknown depth. Springing
from one of these, about four miles
out, we encountered geyser riralling
any of those in the National Park.
1t is IN the centre of circular basin,
with sides Of sand and mud,
and about forty feet in diane
! ter. At intervals of fifteen minutes
an immense stream Of boiling water
leaps out and up to q heighth of. l
should Judge, sixty feet. It's ap.
pearance is unaccompained by any
special demontratic9, but the enor.
nous volume of water falling sheer
back into the basin is G spectacle as
impressive as it is startling. The
geyser spouts four or five minutes and
then subsidies as quickly as it came,
disappearing with a mutter that re-
vcrberates far down into the bowels
Of the troubled earth. 1t is impos.
sible to approach very close while it
is in action, bat an idea Of its heat as
it emerges can be formed from the
fact that q pocket thermometer dipped
into the basin before the water oozed
away marked within two degrees Of
the Eoiling point. The Mexicans
say that three other geysers exist in
the southwest, but we were unable,
for reasons that will appear further
en-, to investigate the statement.
AIRED LIpPED LIVING CRATER.
When our party came within four
or five miles of the volcano we real
lied that it would be impracticable
to approach it in a direct line. A
river Of lava pouring down the noun
tain side some weeks ago, and not
yet cool, effectually barred the way,
so we turned to the south and began
the ascent of an adjacent peak for the
purpose Of obtaining view from its
superior elevation. 1t is unnecessary
to detail the ascent, 1t was like all
other mountain climbing, except
more so. But when we reached the
top a spectacle of tremendous con-
vulsion met our view. Below us, at
distance Of about three.quarters Of
mile, was the red Tipped mouth Of
a living volcano. Heretofore no one
has approached within one-fourth of
that distance. The crater forms a
rude oval, depressed at the northern
side, and rising in series of ragged
peaks at the south, A strong wind
blowing northward favored our view,
for it swept away the smoke and
steam Of the eruption and left the
actual mouth compar atively clear.
It is lurid funnel, necessarily
changing in hue from the inconceiv-
able heat which must exist in its
midst. The bottom was yelled by a
binding mist, but up the sides played
bright hands crimson, varying into
green and blue, with that incandes-
cent shifting Of color that one OBJ
serves in white hot steel. At inter-
walls the lambent surfane quivered
and an upheaval of fiery matter, Of
or what seemed TO be such, gave the
crater the appearance Of lake of
liquie flame, During our first view
Of it there was no eruption in the
common acceptance Of the term, that
is to say nothing was thrown out;
bat the vast cauldron seemed seething
and boiling to it's edges. Had it not
been for the wind before alluded to,
our position would have been unten-
able from the heat. At the far side,
where the depression existed, there
were plain evidences of a gap formed
by the egress Of the lava.
RIVERS OF MOLTEN LAVA.
Later on we were enabled tQ trace
the course of this molten river. 1t
had poured straight downward over a
steep declivity for about an eighth
Of mile, where, checked by gulch
Of gigantic proportions, it had
swerved to the north in the direction
of the mesa on which was Bavisze.
About two miles from the eFayer the
storm stopped and spread itself over
considerable area, where it has
cooled in wild and fantastic for